The sun sets on the lotus moon
by leirari
Summary: When a human girl is forced into a life with a demonic shadow and is claimed be the beast, will she survive the change she is to commit?


Gekkani had left her home in the quiet village of Tetsu, and began to travel when she reached the age of 18. Now her sandal covered feet dragged in the dirt from exhaustion as the day rolled into the eight month of her never ending trip.

The girl sighed as she stopped and sat under an old bending Sakura tree. She quickly pulled her travel bag from her shoulders and pulled out a loaf of bread and broke off a piece, sending crumbs onto the ground and after a moment she put the remainder of the bread back into her bag. She began to eat, munching thoughtfully on the stale piece. Gekkani looked back on her various memories of her travels and smiled. After she left her village months ago she began to travel Japan in search of adventure. She had wandered onto a village where the monks there had taught her simple sealing spells and how to dispel and dispose of pesky demons. During her brief training they had began to joke and started to call her a Miko, known more commonly as a Priestess. Gekkani chuckled and swallowed, finishing her portion of the food as the breeze played with strands of her long blonde hair, tossing it in its cold gentle stretched and rubbed her blue eyes. With a yawn she laid on her side, using the bag as a make shift pillow.  
A black shadow leaned against the tree that the sleeping Gekkani was under. It was a demon that had no face or true body. was a Silhouette. It watched Gekkani's chest rise and fall as she dreamed peacefully. He crept closer and sat next to her. He couldn't help but notice that Gekkani was a young, beautiful girl in her teens. The demon watched as a traveler passed. Thankfully the traveler did not seem to notice him or the peacefully sleeping Gekkani. As the shadow's non existing gaze retuned to Gekkani he saw light drifting over her light blue kimono like a cranes feather on still, pure water. He let his hand drift onto the Miko's shoulder and rest lightly on the silk covered skin. Gekkani's eyes opened slightly as she felt the contact. The hand to her was warm as a summer's breath, yet as cold as winter's snow. Gekkani tuned over causing the hand to depart from her silken kimono. She looked up the silhouette and smiled. "Spirit, your back?" Gekkani asked and watched the demon nod and place his hand on her shoulder again. He squeezed lightly as if to apologize for waking her. Sighing, Gekkani got up and put her travel bag back on and tightened its leather strap. After she was travel ready, the demon pulled her into an embrace allowing his head to rest on top of hers. Gekkani hugged him back and enjoyed the feeling, until it was the time that they had to be off. She pulled away gently and looked up at him with a smile. The demon nodded and let her escape the safety of his arms.  
Gekkani and the spirit walked down the desolate road side by side. The two had begun to travel together after they had first met. Gekkani smiled as the bitter sweet memory returned.

Gekkani had been sitting on her bed, alone in her hut. The other villager's barley spoke to her, and a few even barely noticed her existence. Gekkani had uncurled from the ball she had been in and lifted her head. Her eyes settled on something dark not far away from her hay stuffed cot. She stared, surprised at the silhouette standing across the room. It watched her for a moment then vanished as he walked through a reed sown a few days he reappeared and watched her, only to leave a little while later each time. One night as she sat on her cot crying, the demon had appeared and sat next to her pulling her into his arms, and letting her cry herself to sleep. He gently laid her down on the bed and covered her up with her thin, torn sheet. He left the hut a little while later, looking back every few steps. One of the village boys saw the demon enter the Gekkani's hut and told the leaders of the village about the dark creature. An exorcist was called to the village and banished the demon while Gekkani was gone, picking herbs for the healer.  
Weekes after the spirit was forced to leave, Gekkani was sitting in her hut packing. Her breath seemed to be the only sound in the quiet Japanese village. It was the night before she was going to be exiled. Gekkani threw the bag over her shoulder and snuck out of her home and past the other huddled huts. The moon was full that night as she approached the border of the village. She could barely see the demon, standing in the moon light as he waited for her. She crossed the border and quickly found herself in his arms. He held her close, as if vowing to never leave her again.

Gekkani and the spirit walked for miles on the well packed dirt path, trying not to notice the looks and glares from other travelers that passed them. After a while the pair saw a small group consisting of four men walking tords them. One of the men, most likely the leader, was on a chestnut colored mare, while the other men were walking. Gekkani and the shadow kept walking until they passed the group silently. Gekkani felt one of the men brush against her slightly as he passed, earning a small growl from her companion. The traveling men stopped as the leader signaled to them by raising his hand. "Young Miko, why do you travel with this meek shadow, is he not what we as humans were made to destroy?" The leader asked calmly, his back facing the pair. Gekkani stopped, causing the demon to pause right beside her. The horse whinnied as its rider slid off of its back, making his armor rattle and beat against itself. Shinzui turned around and watched as the leader approached Gekkani, who had turned as well. As the leader got closer the spirit wrapped an arm protectively around Gekkani's waist, pulling her closer to him. The man raised an eyebrow as the demon showed openly that the girl was his to protect, and only his. "I see that you two are companions" the man said serenely. "I will sadly have to dispose of your demon. You see, there is a rule that demons cannot be in the company of young maidens such as yourself. And as a gentleman I must see to it that you are in safe hands," he told Gekkani, his voice cool and controlled. The leader pulled out a sword from its sheath and pointed it tords the shadow. The demon quickly moved in front of Gekkani and managed to snarl. All four men advanced tords the protective spirit with the intention of killing him and taking the girl. demon flexed his claws. No one would take his Gekkani while he was alive. The leader raised his sword and ran tords him yelling "Good bye demon!" The other men in the band quickly fallowed suite. The blades flashed as they drove themselves tords the pair.

Gekkani and the spirit walked past a traveler's shrine silently. The silhouette shook the blood from the humans that had attacked them off of his hands. He hadn't killed them, he just let go off with a few gashes from his claws, so they wouldn't forget their mistake. If Gekkani hadn't pleaded for him to stop he would have enjoyed killing them. The night was cool and quiet, except for the occasional chirping of crickets. Gekkani looked at her traveling companion and smiled. "You know, I just now noticed that I don't know your name." She admitted, embarrassed. She watched him give a small nod and continued to try and get off the blood by letting is hands brush up against the shrubbery that lined the path."It's too bad you can't talk" Gekkani smiled sadly. The spirit had never talked during their time together, seeing as he was a shadow demon and didn't have the ability, yet he could surprisingly growl. She sighed, "oh well it doesn't matter I guess. We should probably set up camp soon." After a few more miles, Gekkani and the spirit stumbled across an abandoned hut. There were a few holes in the old patched walls, and the roof was tilted slightly with age, probably from all the rain and storms that had happened a while back. The roof moaned and creaked as a small Sparrow perched on its worn out wood. Gekkani shuddered "I guess it's better than nothing"

Gekkani and the silhouette sat side by side, on the worn out, hay stuffed mattress. Gekkani pulled out the remainder of the loaf of bread from her bag, and tore off a piece, offering it to the spirit. The shadow shook his head and patted her knee. "Oh I forgot you don't need to eat" she chuckled and began to eat the stale piece. They sat quietly and waited until she finished. When she was done she put the loaf back into her bag. She dug around inside of it for a moment then pulled out a bundled up blanket. The spirit took it from her gently and wrapped it around her shoulders. Gekkani thanked him and quietly laid down on the cot, quickly falling asleep. The spirit got up and walked over to the door to begin his nightly watch. He turned his head towards Gekkani and concentrated. He felt her aura and let his essence flow into hers. He felt a calm feeling wash over him as the felt the Miko's aura accept a small portion of his, giving a piece to him in return, creating an unbreakable bond. He shivered as strength was absorbed into his body. Even though she wouldn't hear him while she was asleep he couldn't help but talk to his human companion. 'Good night Gekkani' he whispered to into her dreams, and then added happily 'you can call me Shinzui.'


End file.
